This invention relates to hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) antigen and to a method for its preparation, to its use in an assay for hepatitis A, and for the preparation of hepatitis A vaccine.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease which, while not commonly fatal, can involve many weeks of debilitating illness. It is usually spread by direct contact with an infected individual or by contaminated drinking water or food. Conventional virus propagation methods have not been successful in growing hepatitis A virus. A recent invention of Drs. P. J. Provost, O. L. Ittensohn and M. R. Hilleman, described in copending U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 530,623, filed Dec. 9, 1974 is based on the discovery that hepatitis A virus can be obtained from the liver of infected non-human primates, e.g., marmosets. Because such non-human primates are not always available in required numbers an alternate method of obtaining hepatitis A antigen is desired.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a practical method for obtaining hepatitis A antigen which does not involve non-human primates. Another object is to provide hepatitis A antigen for use in an assay for hepatitis A. A further object is to provide a vaccine for hepatitis A. These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.